Quarterly exercise provides valuable training, feedback Published May 9, 2014 By Will Huntington 88 Air Base Wing Public Affairs WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Wright-Patterson Air Force Base personnel went into emergency response mode and faced air piracy, tornado recovery and an active shooter during the base's week-long quarterly exercises April 28 through May 2. After inclement weather on the first day led to an adjustment in the exercise schedule, local government officials in nearby Clark County, Ohio, joined base exercise planners by requesting aid from Wright-Patterson AFB after a simulated tornado struck. This scenario exercised the Defense Support of Civil Authorities, as well as the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. These agreements allow military installation commanders to provide immediate response to communities affected by natural disasters to prevent loss of life, limb and property and to mitigate suffering was exercised. The base simulated dispatching over 40 base personnel as well as equipment to assist in that effort. "This portion went very well," said Carmen Riches, 88 Air Base Wing Chief of Exercises and Inspections. "We were assessing whether base personnel knew what they could and could not do with regard to the request and also assessing how the base tracked its equipment." "We received valuable advice regarding levels of support from the Ohio Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer, who graciously came and observed this portion of our exercise," Riches continued. In another event on April 28, a table-top exercise was conducted to evaluate the base's ability to respond to a long term power outage in a portion of the base. The April 29 scenario saw a "hijacked" C-17 land at the base and park on the ramp near the 445 Airlift Wing. Members from the 88 Security Forces Squadron quickly surrounded the aircraft and eventually the hijacker was taken into custody. A base-wide active shooter exercise on April 30 not only tested emergency personnel, but also the base's general populace to see if they knew how to react to such an event. A role-playing "gunman" entered the Air Force Institute of Technology and began "shooting". Students and faculty alike had to choose those responses which, in the event of a real-world shooter, would have saved their lives - deciding whether to run, hide or, as a last resort, fight. While many quickly exited the building, still more barricaded themselves in classrooms and offices behind locked doors keeping themselves out of the sight. After the known role-playing shooter was taken out of the equation, security forces still had to conduct a room-by-room search of the building to determine that there were no other shooters present and also to let those sheltering know that it was safe to leave. Given the intense interest generated by family members and loved ones during an active shooter event, the base's Emergency Family Assistance Control Center (EFACC) was activated. When the EFACC is brought online, helping agencies such as the Family Support Center, Red Cross, housing, lodging, finance, legal, Traffic Management Office, Behavioral Health, Family Advocacy, Chapel, first sergeants and Public Affairs are all under one roof to ensure affected individuals can get needed help. "Advance preparation is the key," Riches emphasized. "Units must have a specific plan and ensure that their people know where to find it and what it says. It's important that we all take these one- to two-hour scenarios seriously. Consider the recent active shooter at Fort Hood (Texas) and, more recently, at the VA Medical Center in Dayton." On May 1, the base's exercise officials focused on recovery efforts after a simulated tornado stormed through Area B. As a result, one of the base fire houses was "destroyed". Rescue along with search and recovery crews then had to go on-scene and assist those injured in the storm, identify and locate the missing and properly process the dead for removal. "This scenario had its challenges, since we intentionally started it at a midway point in the scenario's timeline," Riches said. "So for this scenario, fire and medics already were on scene and had to determine what measures they already had accomplished and what actions remained."